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Intro Lecture 1

Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social behavior, focusing on interactions within groups and the influence of institutions. It examines human interactions, social norms, and institutions to understand societal patterns and address social issues like inequality and racism. The field encourages critical thinking about the social forces shaping our lives and emphasizes the importance of both micro and macro perspectives.

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Marina Krizskaya
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6 views5 pages

Intro Lecture 1

Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social behavior, focusing on interactions within groups and the influence of institutions. It examines human interactions, social norms, and institutions to understand societal patterns and address social issues like inequality and racism. The field encourages critical thinking about the social forces shaping our lives and emphasizes the importance of both micro and macro perspectives.

Uploaded by

Marina Krizskaya
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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‭Introduction to Sociology‬

‭Welcome to Sociology‬
‭●‬‭Definition:‬‭Sociology is the‬‭scientific study‬
‭of human society‬‭and social behavior.‬
‭●‬‭Focuses on‬‭how people interact in groups‬
‭and how institutions shape our lives.‬
‭●‬‭Examines‬‭patterns of behavior‬‭across‬
‭societies, from small groups to entire nations.‬

‭What Does Sociology Study?‬


‭●‬‭Human Interactions‬‭: From families to‬
‭nations.‬
‭●‬‭Institutions‬‭: Schools, governments, and‬
‭economies.‬
‭●‬‭Social Norms‬‭: Unwritten rules that shape‬
‭behavior.‬
‭●‬‭Questions Explored‬‭:‬
‭○‬‭Why do people follow certain norms?‬
‭○‬‭How do institutions affect individuals?‬
‭Importance of Sociology‬
‭●‬‭See the world differently‬‭: Understand that‬
‭social norms and behaviors are shaped by‬
‭culture, history, and social structures.‬
‭●‬‭Appreciate diversity‬‭: Study of different‬
‭cultures and groups fosters a better‬
‭understanding of human variety.‬
‭●‬‭Identify social problems‬‭: Tools to recognize‬
‭and address issues like inequality, racism, and‬
‭poverty.‬

‭Key Concepts in Sociology‬


‭1.‬‭Society‬‭: A group of people sharing culture‬
‭and territory.‬
‭2.‬‭Social Structure‬‭: Organized relationships and‬
‭institutions that shape society.‬
‭3.‬‭Culture‬‭: Beliefs, values, and behaviors that‬
‭define a group.‬
‭4.‬‭Social Norms‬‭: Unwritten rules of behavior.‬
‭5.‬‭Institutions‬‭: Established systems like‬
‭education, government, and family.‬
‭Sociology vs. Other Social Sciences‬
‭●‬‭Psychology‬‭: Focuses on individual behavior‬
‭and mental processes.‬
‭●‬‭Anthropology‬‭: Studies cultures and human‬
‭history.‬
‭●‬‭Sociology‬‭: Emphasizes‬‭social systems and‬
‭group behavior‬‭.‬

‭The Sociological Perspective‬


‭●‬‭Sociology looks at‬‭social issues from a‬
‭broader viewpoint‬‭.‬
‭●‬‭Focus on‬‭societal influences‬‭(culture, norms,‬
‭institutions).‬
‭●‬‭Example‬‭: Divorce — Sociologists study social‬
‭forces like economic stress and changing‬
‭gender roles rather than individual choices.‬
‭Micro vs. Macro Sociology‬
‭●‬‭Micro-sociology‬‭: Focus on small interactions‬
‭(e.g., family dynamics).‬
‭●‬‭Macro-sociology‬‭: Study of large social‬
‭processes (e.g., institutions, economic‬
‭systems).‬
‭●‬‭Both levels are essential for understanding‬
‭how individuals and societies interact.‬

‭Historical Foundations of Sociology‬


‭●‬‭Auguste Comte‬‭: Coined "sociology"; believed‬
‭in studying society scientifically.‬
‭●‬‭Karl Marx‬‭: Studied the influence of‬‭economic‬
‭systems‬‭and‬‭class conflicts‬‭.‬
‭●‬‭Emile Durkheim‬‭: Focused on social order and‬
‭how norms/institutions create‬‭social‬
‭solidarity‬‭.‬
‭Applications of Sociology‬
‭●‬‭Sociologists work in areas like:‬
‭○‬‭Social work‬
‭○‬‭Education‬
‭○‬‭Healthcare‬
‭○‬‭Criminal justice‬
‭●‬‭They help address social issues such as‬
‭bullying‬‭,‬‭homelessness‬‭, and‬‭inequality‬‭by‬
‭understanding social dynamics.‬

‭Conclusion‬
‭●‬‭Sociology helps us‬‭look beyond individual‬
‭actions‬‭and understand the‬‭social forces‬
‭shaping our world.‬
‭●‬‭Encourages‬‭critical thinking‬‭about society,‬
‭culture, and behavior.‬
‭●‬‭Homework‬‭: Reflect on how social forces‬
‭influence your decisions. Write about a recent‬
‭choice and the societal factors that may have‬
‭impacted it.‬

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